Saturday, 16 January 2010

Medals for what?

Earlier this week, a man named Roger Day was fined and given community service for appearing at the cenotaph last November, wearing 17 fake war medals. Pinned to his lapel was the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross - in addition to campaign medals stretching from the Second World War to the first Gulf conflict. He also wore SAS insignia including a beret. In truth, Day's only military service was when he served 18 months with a Junior Leaders Regiment - a former Army preparation scheme for youngsters - in the 1960's.

According to reports, Day's motive was to seduce a woman 24 years his junior. In punishment, Day was fined 60 hours of community service, had his 17 medals confiscated and was told to pay £40 court costs. I don't read them anymore, but they missed their chance for me. A tabloid newspaper should have had a headline screaming, "YOU A WAR HERO: THAT'LL BE THE DAY!".

Seriously, Day deserved to be punished because what he did was an insult to men who genuinely have obtained their medals in wars, but why doesn't anyone prosecute Prince Charles and Prince Philip when they shamelessly appear at the Cenotaph year in year out, wearing their array of medals? It certainly makes me wonder what they did to earn them!